A trip guide · For six

Japan, October 2026.

Six of us. Thirteen nights. Autumn in five cities.

Osaka→Kinosaki→Kyoto→Tsumago→Tokyo
with day trips to Hiroshima, Nara, Kawaguchiko and Nikko.

Dotonbori canal at night, neon signage reflecting on the water
01 · Starting city

Osaka 大阪

Our starting city. Loud, food-obsessed, less polished than Tokyo and proud of it. Three nights to find our feet in Japan, eat ourselves stupid, and take a day trip to Hiroshima.

Nights
3
Arrival
By plane · KIX
Vibe
Neon, kuidaore

Top 4 things

The Glico Running Man sign in Dotonbori
No. 1

Dotonbori

The neon canal at night, takoyaki and okonomiyaki, the Glico Running Man. The Osaka most people picture.

Osaka Castle keep with moat
No. 2

Osaka Castle

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 1583 keep (1931 reconstruction) ringed by maple trees and a moat. Best in autumn light.

Kuromon Ichiba covered market arcade
No. 3

Kuromon Market

"Osaka's kitchen." 580m covered arcade of seafood, wagyu skewers, fruit. Graze your way through.

Shinsekai district at night with Tsutenkaku Tower
No. 4

Shinsekai & Tsutenkaku

Retro 1960s Osaka frozen in time, home of kushikatsu — deep-fried skewers eaten with cold beer.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with autumn foliage
02 · Day trip from Osaka

Hiroshima 広島

A full day from Osaka. The most powerful war memorial in Japan, plus the reconstructed castle for context on the city before 1945. Heavy but essential.

From Osaka
1h 25 · Shinkansen
Length
Full day
Mood
Contemplative

Top 4 things

The Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima
No. 1

Atomic Bomb Dome

Preserved skeletal ruin of the only structure left standing near the hypocentre. UNESCO World Heritage.

Cenotaph for the A-bomb victims
No. 2

Peace Memorial Park

Contemplative walk through monuments along the river, autumn maples lining the paths.

Hiroshima Castle reconstructed wooden keep
No. 3

Hiroshima Castle

The reconstructed wooden castle, with grounds that turn brilliant in October.

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki being cooked on a hotplate
No. 4

Okonomiyaki dinner

Hiroshima-style is layered, not mixed — noodles, cabbage, egg, pork. End the heavy day with comfort food.

Kinosaki Onsen canal lined with willow trees
03 · Onsen town

Kinosaki Onsen 城崎温泉

A 1,300-year-old hot spring village. We stay in a ryokan, wear yukata and wooden geta sandals, and walk between seven public bathhouses along a willow-lined canal. This is what Japanese people themselves do for holidays — our most authentic stop.

Nights
1
From Kyoto
2h 40 direct
Vibe
Yukata, geta, steam

Top 4 things

A traditional onsen bathhouse exterior in Kinosaki
No. 1

The seven onsens

Soto-yu bathhouse hopping is the whole point — try as many as you can in an evening and a morning.

Visitors in yukata in Kinosaki
No. 2

Evening yukata walk

Willow-lined canal, stone bridges, red lanterns, everyone in matching robes. Pure atmosphere.

A multi-course kaiseki dinner served at a ryokan
No. 3

Kaiseki dinner

Multi-course traditional dinner served at the ryokan. October specialty: tajima beef and early-season crab.

Kinosaki ropeway view over the town and coast
No. 4

Ropeway & views

The Onsenji ropeway climbs above town for the coastal panorama. Easy daytime activity between baths.

Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto, autumn light
04 · Cultural heart

Kyoto 京都

The cultural heart of Japan. Four nights here because there's so much — temples, shrines, the geisha district, bamboo forests, and the easy day trip to Nara. Late October is the start of Kyoto's autumn season; we'll catch the early colour.

Nights
4
From Kinosaki
2h 40 train
Vibe
Shrines, maples

Top 4 things

Senbon Torii at Fushimi Inari
No. 1

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Thousands of vermillion torii gates winding up Mount Inari. Go at sunrise or late afternoon to skip the crowds.

The bamboo grove in Arashiyama
No. 2

Arashiyama

Bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji temple, Togetsukyo Bridge over the Hozu River. The whole area, not just the bamboo path.

Ninenzaka stone street leading to Kiyomizu-dera
No. 3

Higashiyama & Kiyomizu

Wooden temple on a hillside, ringed by maples. Walk up through Sannenzaka with the matcha shops and sweets vendors.

Wooden machiya houses in Gion at night
No. 4

Gion at dusk

Kyoto's traditional district — wooden machiya houses, lanterns, willow canal. Dinner in Pontocho alley.

Todai-ji temple in Nara
05 · Day trip from Kyoto

Nara 奈良

Japan's first permanent capital, 8th century. Hundreds of free-roaming sika deer bow for crackers in the park. Easy half-day or full-day trip from Kyoto.

From Kyoto
45 min · JR Nara
Length
Half to full day
Vibe
Deer, lanterns

Top 4 things

Sika deer in Nara Park
No. 1

Nara Park & the deer

Friendly (and pushy) sika deer wander freely. Buy crackers from the vendors and they bow for them.

The Great Buddha inside Todai-ji
No. 2

Todai-ji

A 15m bronze Buddha inside the world's largest wooden building. Genuinely awe-inspiring scale.

Stone lanterns at Kasuga Taisha shrine
No. 3

Kasuga Taisha

Thousands of stone and bronze lanterns lining the wooded path. Most atmospheric in late afternoon light.

Naramachi old town traditional wooden buildings
No. 4

Naramachi old town

Preserved merchant district, old wooden houses, sake shops, quiet streets away from the deer crowds.

Tsumago post town main street with wooden buildings
06 · Edo post town

Tsumago 妻籠宿

A perfectly preserved Edo-period post town in the mountains. We walk part of the historic Nakasendo trail from Magome (8km, mostly downhill, 2.5–3 hours) and stay overnight in a family-run minshuku. After the day-trippers leave, the village goes silent. Pure old Japan.

Nights
1
Trail
8 km · 2.5–3 hrs
Vibe
Silent after 5 pm

Top 4 things

The Nakasendo trail through forest
No. 1

Walk the Nakasendo

The 8km Magome-to-Tsumago section through forested mountains. Easy for casual walkers; luggage forwarding is available.

Traditional minshuku tatami-room interior with futons
No. 2

Stay in a minshuku

Family-run guesthouse, tatami rooms, home-cooked dinner. Most foreigners never experience this.

Tsumago after dark with lanterns lit
No. 3

Tsumago after dark

Once the buses leave at 5pm, the village empties. Stone streets, lit lanterns, complete silence — the actual magic.

The stone slope of Magome juku
No. 4

Magome viewpoint

The village starts at the top of a ridge. The view back over the Kiso valley is stunning in autumn.

Tokyo park or forest in autumn colour
07 · Final base

Tokyo 東京

Four nights in Tokyo as our base — two days exploring the city itself, plus day trips to see Mt Fuji at Kawaguchiko and the peak autumn foliage at Nikko. The biggest city we'll see.

Nights
4
From Tsumago
Shinkansen via Nagoya
Vibe
Big, loud, electric

Top 4 things

Kaminarimon gate at Senso-ji temple, Asakusa
No. 1

Asakusa & Senso-ji

Tokyo's oldest temple (645 AD). Walk through the giant red Kaminarimon lantern, down Nakamise street, to the main hall.

Shibuya Crossing at night from above
No. 2

Shibuya · Harajuku · Meiji

The contrast of Tokyo in one day. Sacred forest at Meiji, kawaii chaos at Harajuku, the busiest crossing on Earth at Shibuya.

Tsukiji Outer Market food stalls
No. 3

Tsukiji breakfast

400+ stalls selling Japan's best seafood. Tamagoyaki, fresh tuna sushi, knife shops. Get there by 8am.

Shinjuku Golden Gai narrow alley at night
No. 4

Shinjuku at night

Golden Gai's tiny six-seat bars, Omoide Yokocho's yakitori smoke, the Kabukicho neon. Tokyo nightlife distilled.

Mt Fuji with autumn leaves from Lake Kawaguchiko
08 · Day trip from Tokyo

Kawaguchiko 河口湖

The best Mt Fuji views in Japan. Lake Kawaguchiko's north shore gives the perfect mirror reflection on clear days, and the Chureito Pagoda is the iconic five-story pagoda framing Fuji in autumn colour. October is genuinely peak season — our best foliage day of the trip.

From Tokyo
2 hr · Fuji Excursion
Length
Full day
Vibe
Fuji, maples, lake

Top 4 things

Chureito Pagoda with Mt Fuji and autumn maples
No. 1

Chureito Pagoda

Climb the 400 steps at Arakurayama Sengen Park. Five-story pagoda + Fuji + autumn maples is the postcard.

Lake Kawaguchiko shore
No. 2

Lake north shore

Oishi Park for the lakeside reflection of Fuji. Bring a long lens.

View from Mt Tenjo cable car over Lake Kawaguchiko
No. 3

Mt Tenjo ropeway

Cable car up Mt Tenjo for an overhead view of the lake and Fuji. Quick, easy, worth it.

Thatched-roof village at Oshino Hakkai with Mt Fuji
No. 4

Oshino Hakkai

Traditional thatched-roof village with eight crystal-clear ponds fed by Fuji snowmelt. Photogenic and quiet.

Kegon Falls in autumn colour, Nikko
09 · Day trip from Tokyo

Nikko 日光

The one destination where mid-to-late October hits genuine peak autumn foliage. UNESCO World Heritage shrines plus mountain lakes and waterfalls at elevation. Long day — start early. Akechidaira viewpoint, Kegon Falls, hike to Lake Chuzenji, lunch at the lake, then shrines on the way back down.

From Tokyo
2 hr each way
Length
Long day
Vibe
Peak foliage

Top 4 things

Akechidaira viewpoint panorama over Irohazaka and Kegon Falls
No. 1

Akechidaira & Kegon

Bus up the Irohazaka winding road (peak foliage), Akechidaira ropeway for the panorama, then continue to the 97m falls.

Lake Chuzenji and Mt Nantai in autumn
No. 2

Lake Chuzenji

High-altitude crater lake ringed by forest in full October colour. Lunch lakeside.

Yomeimon gate at Toshogu shrine
No. 3

Toshogu Shrine

One of Japan's most elaborate shrines, mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Carved gates, gold detailing, "see no evil" monkeys.

The red Shinkyo bridge over the Daiya River, Nikko
No. 4

Shinkyo Bridge

The bright red sacred bridge over the Daiya River, at the entrance to Nikko's shrine area. Maples on every side.